Learn how to paste your own mask and then participate in an impromptu Junkanoo rush-out. Slam some dominoes or sit quietly and contemplate your next move at a game of chess or the less stressful board game of checkers are some of the new additions that will make this year's Junkanoo Summer Festival that more exciting.
The art of pasting will be taught by Quentin "Barabbas" Woodside to help you connect with your Bahamian heritage at a special Junkanoo stall at the three-weekend festival where he will teach the art of Junkanoo costume pasting.
"There are probably many people, adults and kids alike who love Junkanoo but have never pasted a costume in their life. So before this art vanishes I want to teach the next generation and give them a taste of what this is all about," said Woodside. "Many [people] see the Junkanoo parade and dance on the sidelines but it's another thing to be behind the mask. The feeling is different. Your whole perspective is different. You feel relaxed and at ease. Problems are washed away if only for a second and you just feel good. You aren't just watching the show. You are the show. We want people to come out, especially kids so they can take part in this and really enjoy themselves as much as they can while learning so much about this important part of our heritage."
Barabbas' Junkanoo stall while new to some will remind others of the sense of accomplishment of the fringe costumes of yesteryear. "This is going to be an amazing [Junkanoo Summer] Festival and it was important to really get Junkanoo ingrained in it," says Woodside. "I am not talking about just the rush-outs. I mean getting the people to remember what it is all about. It's good to have supporters and people come out to enjoy the show but it's a different thing when they get involved."
Woodside's Junkanoo stall will also display music pieces used in the parade like drums and cowbells that can also be purchased. To up the ante, the impromptu rush-outs will allow participants to get the true feel of the Junkanoo parade so they can appreciate the rush more.
"Many see the Junkanoo parade and dance on the sidelines but it's another thing to be behind the mask ... the feeling is different. Your whole perspective is different. You feel relaxed and at ease. You aren't just watching the show. You are the show."
Woodside encourages people to attend the Festival - which starts on Saturday, July 16 and takes place over the next three Saturdays at Arawak Cay - to have fun and also learn about Junkanoo which is an important part of their heritage. After learning the art of pasting and participating in the impromptu sessions and still crave to experience the rush, then ensure that you are around for the 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. all-star rushes by Junkanoo enthusiasts.
Other exciting elements to this year's summer festival include native competitions sure to pique your interest like catching the Andros land crab, eating the Eleuthera pineapple, peeling the Exuma onion and cracking the Grand Bahamian conch. With something for everyone in the family, the kids have their own corner complete with a petting zoo, games, bouncing castles, and a rock climbing wall. The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) will also have a stall to teach children about native plant life and marine life.
Ministry of Tourism director of events Janet Johnson says the Summer Festival will be fun and a learning experience too. "This is a learning experience too so we wanted to incorporate fun activities with learning about our country which is why we teamed up with BNT. We really wanted to target everyone so we are doing a lot of things to get people to come out and just enjoy our heritage. It's good for the tourists to come out and see our culture but it's just as important for Bahamians to come out and enjoy who we are."
And then there are the true, true Bahamians who would say that a real Bahamian event is as good as the food and you can be guaranteed that you will have a lot to choose from at the July Junkanoo Summer Festival with more than 25 stalls offering a wide array of Bahamian foods. So whether you are craving some good ole crab and rice, fried chicken, steam conch, macaroni, potato salad, roast corn or even curry mutton you are bound to find something up your alley. For the sugar lover, a wonderful variety of Bahamian confections are in order from pound cake, benny cake, coconut cake, peanut brittle, guava duff, jams to even homemade ice cream.
And what is a festival without great entertainment on the menu? There will be Junkanoo street dancers, cultural dance and drumming from the National Dance School. Native dance exhibitions like the quadrille and of course story time and poetry, are included, The hot lineup of Bahamian musical artists from Nita, Obeah Man, Geno D. and the Ancient Man are expected to keep you on your feet. A special gospel segment is also planned with Ricardo Clarke and Bishop Lawrence Rolle.
If band music is your kind of thing then Sky Juice Rake and Scrape Band and Back-Shot house band will take you down home with their performances. "It will be great to see Bahamians really come out to the festival this year and enjoy themselves by participating in the competitions and activities," says Johnson. "This is something that most of us enjoy and do for fun. We rarely highlight something like this so it's important to do it so the next generation can see how it's done and just how much fun it can be. This adds a new element that I am sure many Bahamians will enjoy. It takes you back and makes the festival more interesting outside of the heritage events we usually have."
With all the excitement that will be going on this is definitely a festival you will not want to miss. So grab your family and your comfortable shoes and make it a plan to head to Arawak Cay this Saturday and the next two following Saturdays.
The next three weekends of activity will satisfy your craving for that nostalgic feeling you sometimes get and want to pull up a chair at a table to slam some dominoes, play a game of checkers or chess which back in the day were easy to come by?
This year's Junkanoo Summer Festival aims to recreate those good ole times by incorporating old favorites with the new.
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